Electrical switch assembly and indicator



Dec. 2, 1958 R. w. FRASER ET AL 2,863,028

ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND INDICATOR Filed March 21, 1955 155A 44 30 aow wrm ATTQRNEY,

United States Patent O ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND INDICATOR Robert W. Fraser and Vincent R. Herterick, Waltham, Mass., assignors to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application March 21, 195s, serial No. 495,380

1 claim. (c1. 20o- 167) This invention relates generally to electrical devices and has particular reference to an electrical switch of the push-button type.

In many types of electronic apparatus, particularly in the case of home appliances, such as automatic dishwashers and clothes washers, which operate through a predetermined cycle, it is desirable to provide a pushbutton switch to start the cycle, and it is also desirable to provide a pilot light to indicate when the apparatus is running and when the apparatus has shut itself off at the end of a cycle. t

The object of this invention is to provide a combination push-button switch and pilot light assembly in which the pilot light is visible through the switch operating plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a push-button switch and pilot-light assembly in which a. light transmitting operating plunger is provided with a pilot light projecting into the plunger and movable: longitudinally therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a push-- button switch and pilot-light assembly in which a switch. housing is provided with a bulb carrier movable longitudinally therein having circuit completing means om the rear end thereof and operating plunger means disposed on the other end enclosing the pilot-light bulbA and protruding from the housing.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the front end of a: switch embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;:

Fig. 3 is a view in section similar to Fig. 2 illustrating; the operation of the switch when the plunger is de pressed;

Fig. 4 is a view in section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;:

Fig. 5 is a vview in section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a view in section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a view in section on line 7 7 of Fig. 2; andi Fig. 8 is a view in section on line 8 8 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a pushbutton switch and pilot-light assembly 1G which are adapted for mounting into an opening 12 in a panel 14.

The switch comprises an insulating body 16 which` for convenience in manufacture and assembly may be molded in two pieces, each with an external groove 13- to receive a retaining ring 20.

The body 16 is provided with a front aperture 22, a front internal circumferential rib 24 adjacent the aper ture 22, and a rear circumferential rib 26 spaced rear-- wardly of the rib 24. Suitable internal recesses are provided in the body to receive contacts 28 and 30 which are connected by lead wires to an external circuit to initiate the operation of apparatus controlled by th'e switch and contacts 32 and 34 which may be connected by lead wires to suitable points in an external circuit 2,863,028 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 ice so that the contacts 32 and 34 are energized when the apparatus controlled by the switch is 1n operation.

To provide circuit completing means for cooperating with said aforementioned contacts, a bulb carrier 36 is disposed in the housing and is provided with means for receiving and making electrical contact with a pilot light 38. A pair of contacts 40 and 42 are disposed on the bulb carrier and extend laterally therefrom to complete an electric circuit between the bulb and the contact members 32 and 34, and a shorting contact 44 is dis posed on the rear of the bulb carrier for completing an electric circuit between the contacts 28 and 30 under certain conditions as will appear hereinafter.

` When the pilot light 38 is assembled in the bulb carrier 36, the bulb portion 46 thereof protrudes forwardly to enclose said bulb portion and to provide means for operating the switch, a plunger 48 is provided at the front of the bulb carrier, and in the preferred em- .bodiment, the plunger is formed of transparent or translucent plastic. The plunger 48, which is hollow to re- -ceive the bulb portion 46, protrudes from the front of the housing through the aperture 22. The plunger 48 and the bulb carrier 36 are movable longitudinally in the housing within the circumferential ribs 24 and 26, respectively, and to limit such movement the plunger and the bulb carrier are each provided with a radial ange formed of individual segments 50 and 52, respecitively, which are substantially the same size and sepa- .rated by spaces at least as large as the segments so that -the segments 50 and 52 may be disposed between each other. The resulting ange is thereby no thicker than tthe thickness of a single set of segments and makes the plunger non-rotatable in relation to the bulb carrier. .Since the bulb carrier` is non-rotatable in relation to .the .housing by reason of the contact members on the rear ythereof projecting into the recesses in the housing, .the plunger is thereby rendered non-rotatable in rela- Ltion to the housing so that indicia disposed on the end thereof will be maintained in the desired orientation.

To urge the bulb carrier forwardly and the plunger into the extended position, a spring 54 is disposed about the bulb carrier between the flange segments 50 and S2 and the rearmost rib 26, so that the flange segments normally bear against the,forward rib 24.

To provide means for assembly of the housing into the panel opening 12, a'mounting ring 56 having a series of resilient shouldered attaching fingers 58 is assembled onto the housing for snapping engagement into the panel opening. A shield 60 is disposed on the mounting ring 56 and extends forwardly about the p plunger, terminating short of the end thereof, to act as a guard against lateral forces which might damage the plunger. The distance from the end of the shield 60 to the end of the plunger is less than the distance the plunger must be moved inwardly to energize the switch, hence, the plunger shield 60 also serves to prevent accidental energizing of the switch.

In the illustrated embodiment the switch is designed to complete an electric circuit between contacts 28 and 30 when the plunger is depressed to start an electrical .apparatus with the leads to the pilot-light contacts 32 vand 34 being energized by the starting of said apparatus by means of external connections with the pilot light remaining on after the plunger is released. To this -end the contact members 32 and 34 are sufficiently long, -so that the contacts 40 and 42 make electrical contact .therewith throughout the entire longitudinal movement of the bulb carrier. However, it will be evident that Vwhere another sequence of electrical connections is desired in the external circuit, appropriate modications may be made to the contact members in the housing.

Since certain'otherfobvious modiiications may be made inthe scope of this invention, it4 is intended that ,all

matter contained herein be interpreted `in .an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A push button switch assembly comprising a housing, said f housing having a central aperture at the forward end thereof and a-pair of circumferentially extending. internal ribs positioned inwardly from said apertureand in longitudinally spaced relation with. respect to .one

another, a bulb carrier disposed vvin said housing, said carrier having la bulb receiving socket, adjacent its innermost end,- a plunger assembled-to the opposite end of said bulb carrier and protruding `from the "aperture of said'housing, said plunger enclosimgv a bulb to :be positionedvwithin said bulb. receiving socket, saidv plunger. and said bulb carrier having ycooper-ating, radially exf,

tending, interlocking ange portions disposed between said pairvof circumferentially extending rib portionsof said housing and-lying Inormally against the -inner face of the forward circumferential rib, said plunger and` bulb carrier being longitudinally movable in `non-rotating relationship with .respect to `said housing and within said spaced circumferential ribs, a spring disposed around said `bulb and between .said vinterlocking flange portions and the rear circumferential rib ofsaid housing biasingv said bulb carrier and said plunger forwardly, a rst pair of contacts secured to saidA housing adjacent the end remote from said apertured end for connection to an external circuit, a second pair of contacts secured to said housing adjacent the end remote from said apertured end and in spaced relation to said first pair of contacts for connection to an external circuit, and a third pair of contacts secured to saidl bulb receiving socket of said bulb carrier, said third pair of contacts being in sliding engagement with said second pair of contacts at all tirnes' whereby upon the rearward movement of said plunger and bulb carrier said third pair of contacts will engage said first pair of contacts toV close a common external electrical circuit between each of said pairs of contacts thereby concurrently activating a cyclic operation of external electrical apparatus and the bulb when positioned in the bulb receiving socket, said circuit remaining energized when the plungelisreleased and until the predetermined cycler is completed.

References cred in. in@ me of. this, parent.

UNITED STATESV PATENTS 

